


and if venice is sinking

by meronicavars



Category: The Exorcist (TV)
Genre: Demons, F/F, Gen, M/M, That Gay Shit(TM), and it all happens in toronto ontario
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2018-04-30
Packaged: 2019-04-21 17:03:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14289366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meronicavars/pseuds/meronicavars
Summary: Three months after the events of season 2, the gang gets back together and has to deal with some big ol' demon plot. Kat just wants to get married. Mouse just wants to take a nap. Marcus and Bennett just wanna hold hands without all this exorcism bullshit getting in the way. And it all happens in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Also some other places around the globe. But Toronto's what's important.





	1. every darkened hallway, every fallen dream

**Author's Note:**

> OKAY HI IT'S ME YOUR BITCHY LOCAL MARCUS/BENNETT ENTHUSIAST.
> 
> so what this is is actually a like... potential season 3, but not as well thought out as the show, and even more gay than usual. i know right. i did that. i am actually a script writer which is why the writing is uh... like that... but since it's meant to be a potential season three and each chapter works as one (1) episode then i guess it kinda works. 
> 
> also this isn't like meant to be a comedy i just dole out a lot of snappy dialogue to ykno... keep things fun. but shit will get real and it does get real. it just happens to have a lot of comic relief. 
> 
> i'll give y'all warnings for each chapter as it's posted since i don't want to like clog up the tags with stuff that doesn't happen throughout, but i likely will be adding tags as the fic is updated. i'm leaving the rating as mature just to be safe, because i mean this is a season of the exorcist you never know what could happen.
> 
> IN THIS CHAPTER: father devon bennett, newly possessed, deals with a bitch of a demon. there's some pregnancy talk, some demons on border patrol, a gun, and The Hat(TM).
> 
> okay, signing off now. have fun. drink water, maybe a shot of whiskey. love winnie (i'm katrances on tumblr and i'm serious with what i said, i'm very bitchy)

He wakes up in darkness. A flowing, moving darkness around him and he tries to adjust his eyes. Bennett reaches up and touches his face. Still there. Good. Hands still there, obviously. He trails his fingers down his chest (he’s wearing a button-up but no jacket) and then to his legs (his usual trousers).

He lets out a sigh of relief despite the situation. He’s on his ass on a very rough carpet that he can’t see but he can feel grating at his legs through the fabric. Bennett moves forward, crawling, the carpet scratching his palms, but he has to figure out where he is. He puts one arm out and walks on his knees until he hits a wall.

The wall cracks and peels against his fingers and he can feel dust wipe away onto his hands.

“Mouse?” he calls to the dark.

His throat is hoarse and he coughs.

“Mouse, are you here?”

No answer.

Bennett sighs and continues along the wall, feeling every crack and groove until he can make out the distinct shape of a doorframe moving up in the wall. He scrambles to his feet, reaching for the knob.

The hallway is dimly lit, but Bennett still blinks painfully at the change. When he can see again, he looks down at his bare feet, and then at the floor--sleek, shiny hardwood. He begins forward, studying the bleeding red of the walls. It has a distinctly gothic Victorian air. The darkness, the art framed on the walls, the gas lights turned low stretching along the ceiling.

“Hello?” He calls out, throat still sore. “Anyone? Where am I?”

Bennett decides wherever he is is empty apart from him. However, the walls let on wealth, and the hallway is long; it could just be a very large house and even with his voice echoing, whoever there might be can’t hear him calling.

He walks and walks and walks, turns corners and walks up and down stairs, but there are no other doors. There’s just hallway upon hallway, twisting their way into a pointless labyrinth. Bennett feels like he’s going in circles.

But finally, after what feels like hours but Bennett can’t be sure, there stands a door. A large red door, with a frame that looks more like it’s for pictures than doors curving gold along the perimeter.

Bennett grabs hold of the doorknob (also gold), and slowly opens the door until he’s flooded with light. He squints, thinking his eyes will be terrible after all this--whatever this is.

It’s like a new building. Brightly lit, the walls white and blue, a very long table centred on the floor reaching out towards him. And at the head of the table, a woman sits. A shock of red hair pulled up in complicated knots, and a smile that bites.

“What is this?” Bennett says, stepping forward, his feet suddenly cold on a white stone floor.

“Devon,” the woman says. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

* * *

 

 

“No, no,” Kat snaps into the phone, wiping at yesterday’s makeup with her hand. “We’re not doing it at a church.”

Zia looks over from the eggs she’s frying concerned, wanting to throw her fiancée a sympathetic look, but Kat’s looking away, staring daggers at the fridge.

“Because we don’t want to get married in a church, Mom,” Kat groans. “We already have a venue, it’s not that hard to understand.”

Kat spins around, suddenly, throwing her arm out and knocking a mug off the counter which shatters on the linoleum, coffee spilling everywhere.

“Fuck!” she yells.

Zia can hear Angela yell “Katherine, language!” loudly through the phone and Kat holds it away from her ear.

“Ow, Mom!”

Zia takes the pan off the burner and goes to clean up the coffee and broken mug.

“Babe, no, I’ll clean it up, go make your eggs.”

Kat sighs back into the phone, sitting at the table.

“Mom, it’s Sunday, can we just chill? If we have a kid we’ll get it baptized, and that’ll have to be at a church. How’s that?... Yeah, okay. I love you too. Have fun at church.”

She hangs up, placing her cell on the table, groaning.

“What Catholic church would even marry us? She is so fucking ignorant sometimes.”

“Are we really gonna get our baby baptized?”

“Absolutely not.”

Zia laughs, goes over to kiss Kat on the head.

“You sure you wanna clean that up?”

“No, I wanna go back to sleep.”

“Right, it’s Sunday, day of chilling.”

“I love you,” Kat smiles up at Zia, her eyes shining even through smudged mascara.

“I love you too,” Zia gives her a firm kiss on the lips. “Now, you go back to bed, I’ll clean this up.”

Kat stretches, hopping out of her chair, grabbing her phone, and heading out of the kitchen. She stops just short of the living room, turning back.

“You really want kids?”

“Yeah,” Zia says. “But I mean, if we’re gonna use Connie’s sperm, we need to wait a couple years for them to chill the fuck out. I’m not having a drunk dancing baby in my uterus.”

 

Later, after the kitchen is cleaned up and Kat is awake again and Zia’s painting in the living room, the buzzer goes off.

Kat bounces off the couch and goes to answer.

“Hello?”

“Hello,” a bright voice comes fuzzily through the speaker. “My name is Father Devon Bennett, I’m a friend of Marcus Keane’s.”

* * *

 

 

“Who are you?” Bennett says. “Where am I?”

“Why don’t you sit down?” the red-haired woman says, her tone painfully condescending.

Bennett takes a moment, staring her down, before conceding and going to take a seat at the end of the table.

“Oh dear, Devon, no,” she says. “I’ll barely hear you all the way down there. Come sit by me.”

The chair to her left suddenly slides out, scratching against the floor, and she gestures to it, her pale, lithe arm stretching out.

“Are you going to tell me who you are?” he says, starting cautiously toward the woman’s end of the table.

“Lilith,” she says, proudly, her smile a self-satisfied sneer.

“Lilith?” Bennett gasps, sitting down, and pulling himself in.

“Oh, not that Lilith,” she laughs. “A different Lilith. A better Lilith. A much, much stronger Lilith.”

“A demon,” Bennett nods. “Of course. This isn’t real.”

“Oh, it’s absolutely real,” Lilith says, “but just an illusion I’ve created in your mind.”

“I’m possessed.”

“Integrated, darling.”

“And I’m still here.”

“Yes, and that’s the problem, isn’t it?”

“For you, maybe,” Bennett says. “It bodes well for me.”

“Well, you see, you’ve made yourself rather comfortable,” Lilith explains, spearing a fork at a slab of meat on a plate that wasn’t there a moment ago.

She looks at her plate and then furrows her brow.

“Oh, Devon, I’m sorry, you must be starved,” she says. “Hiding all alone, curled up in a ball.”

Bennett blinks and the table suddenly fills with heaping platters of food.

“If this is all in my mind, I hardly need to eat,” Bennett says.

“Are you sure about that?” Lilith says, coldly, her eyes ice on Bennett.

His stomach growls and clenches painfully.

“You can’t make me do anything,” Bennett snaps.

“I think you’ll find I can,” Lilith says. “Now, eat.”

She grabs a serrated knife and points it at him.

“You can still feel hunger and pain here with me, Father Bennett,” Lilith growls. “So, you’re going to do what I say or I’ll tear you limb from limb, sew you back together, and start all over again.”

Bennett steels himself, but still reaches for a crisp red apple.

“Good choice,” Lilith says, her voice sickly sweet. “Original sin.”

* * *

 

 

Lilith likes Bennett’s body. Not too short, not too tall; not overly thin, but certainly not fat. It’s soft, comfortable, and she enjoys the way it lets her move, walk, talk. She’s let him grow a beard, which she finds distinguished, but truth be told, she’s never shaved before and doesn’t want to risk cutting up a perfectly good face. A rather kind and unassuming face.

Despite all the enjoyable aspects of getting around in a human body, Lilith is exhausted by where it’s taking her. Getting in touch with the victims is a grueling process and so far have only been reachable by distant relatives or estranged friends. Reachable absolutely not being the operating word, because there’s been no contact whatsoever.

She is, however, a lot closer now.

She has a lot more information on the Rance family, even without Bennett cooperating. Angela and Casey seem to be in the wind, but she has an address for Kat, the recently turned 23 year old daughter and sister.

She doesn’t know if Kat’s met Bennett, but she takes her chances, ringing the buzzer.

Kat isn’t exactly forthcoming on the first meeting and it grinds Lilith’s teeth. She’s a master of manipulation, knows how to get information, but this one is steely and suspicious. Rightfully so, but Lilith is sure she can push the right buttons another day and get Kat talking.

And with Bennett finally at her beck and call, it’s only a matter of time.

* * *

 

 

They’ve been on the road for three months tracking down leads on Bennett. To Liverpool, to Bristol, back across the Atlantic to Miami, to Mexico City, to Chicago (Tomás had a brief visit with his sister and nephew), and now they’re in a motel in Duluth, Minnesota. They only ever just missed him, coming up right behind, killing demons along the way. There’s been a hefty number of integrated they’ve taken out, which of course is good, it’s helpful; but Mouse is exhausted. She won’t let on, usually laying way to anger instead, screaming into her pillow when Tomás isn’t nearby.

He’s in the shower now. There’s steam rolling out from the bottom of the bathroom door, and the motel room is starting to feel muggy.

“It’s summer for God’s sake,” she huffs, grabbing the burner phone from the table and leaves to the parking lot. She has calls to make anyway.

It’s cooler outside than it is in the room and Mouse breathes in the fresh air thanking God for the brisk Northern evening. She takes to walking around the silent parking lot (there’s only two other cars outside rooms), making short calls to her contacts, feeling defeated after each dead end she learns of.

She’s about to head back in to try to get some sleep, when the cell buzzes in her hand.

“Hello?”

“Hi, I’m looking for Marcus Keane,” a woman’s voice says on the other end.

“Who is this?”

“My name is Kat Rance, I’m--”

“Yes, I know who you are,” Mouse interrupts, relieved. “What do you need?”

“I’d really like to speak to Marcus.”

“He’s not here, I’m sorry. I’m Mouse--”

“Mouse?”

“Mouse.”

“...Mouse.”

“We could say my name all night or yours if you want, also an animal. We’d make a good pair, don’t you think?”

There’s silence on the other end for a moment until Mouse can hear Kat laughing.

“Okay, Mouse.”

“I’d give you to Tomás, but he’s been in the shower for like half an hour. He always does this. Anyway, sorry, how can I help you?”

“Marcus’s friend, Father Bennett, showed up and--”

“Bennett.”

“Yeah, he was acting pretty weird, asking a lot of questions.”

“Where are you?”

“What?”

“Where are you? It’s not Bennett, it’s a demon. Tell me where you are and Tomás and I will get there as soon as we can.”

“Toronto,” Kat says.

“Delete this number from your phone. I’ll be in touch.”

“Okay. What should I do?”

“Get out of your house, go stay somewhere else, you can’t let him find you again. See you soon.”

She hangs up and rushes back inside. Tomás is still in the shower. She rolls her eyes.

 

“We should really call Marcus,” Tomás says for the fifth time.

“I told you,” Mouse sighs, making a sharp turn on the road, “I don’t know how to get ahold of him.”

“There’s got to be some way.”

“We can’t drag him back into this, Tomás,” Mouse keeps her eyes on the road, not even bothering to glance a look over at Tomás and his earnestly pleading eyes. “And anyway, we don’t need him.”

“But--”

“You know the Rance girl, don’t you? And her family?”

Tomás humphs, crossing his arms and pressing his back into the seat. “Yeah.”

“I know you miss him, but this is what he wanted,” Mouse says. “He deserves to figure himself out, what he wants.”

“I thought he wanted to be an exorcist.”

“No one really wants to be an exorcist, Tomás,” Mouse sighs, sadly, and reaches over to touch Tomás’s arm briefly.

Tomás sighs.

“How long will this take?”

“If we stay on the road and trade off driving, we should be there around noon.”

“You don’t like me to drive.”

“We can’t afford the plane.”

“It would be better to get there as fast as possible.”

“We can’t afford it.”

They drive in silence for a couple minutes, uncomfortably. Tomás keeps his eyes out the passenger window, his head resting against the glass. Mouse looks over at him, shaking her head.

“We’ll call Marcus if one of us dies,” she says.

Tomás sits back up and looks at her surprised. “If--what?”

“It’s a joke,” Mouse explains.

“It’s,” Tomás tightens his jaw, “--that is not funny.”

“I know,” Mouse sighs, using all her willpower to restrain herself from pressing her forehead into the steering wheel.

“You’re tired,” Tomás says. “I should drive now.”

“Okay,” she replies, and slowly pulls over, thankful there’s no other 2AM traffic on the dark road.

* * *

 

 

“So, Devon,” Lilith drawls, throwing her feet up on the table, stilettos pointing menacingly at Bennett. “There’s some information I need.”

“You’re a demon, aren’t you?” Bennett says sourly. “I’m sure you can acquire it yourself.”

“Some things are so difficult to find out in the big wide world,” Lilith sighs, her bottom lip forming a condescending pout. “And I can always torture you, of course.”

“Oh, I see,” Bennett says. “You can’t read minds. What exactly makes you stronger than the original Lilith then?”

“No, the problem is you, not me,” Lilith snaps. “You decided to find a hole in your mind that I can’t penetrate. All those years cleaning up for your dirty corrupt church taught you well, didn’t it?”

“I was wondering why you wouldn’t just kill me,” Bennett says. “That is, after all, what the integrated want--to destroy the host’s soul--but you’re too weak and I’m far too strong for you.”

He sits back in his chair, taking a bite of his apple, puts his feet up on the table alongside Lilith’s. “Interesting.”

“You have two options,” Lilith says. “You can tell me where the Rances are, or I’ll torture it out of you.”

“I don’t think I’ll talk,” says Bennett.

“I literally just said I’ll torture you.”

“You haven’t done anything yet,” Bennett says. “I’m calling your bluff. The worst you’ve done is make my stomach growl.”

“I can always torture Katherine Rance and make you watch though,” Lilith says, coolly.

* * *

 

 

Zia wraps herself around Kat in bed, blonde her tickling her nose. Kat reaches her hand back and curls her fingers in Zia’s braids, she sighs heavily.

“It’s 4 AM,” Kat says.

“Mhm,” Zia says, kissing at Kat’s jaw. “Listen…”

“What?”

“I’ll go along with this, stay in Connie’s stupid condo, and I won’t ask questions, but--”

“Zee…”

“I need to understand,” Zia says. “I know something happened with your family in Chicago, and I respect that talking about it is difficult. But that priest guy, Bennett, obviously has something to do with and at some point, I’m gonna need to know.”

“Yeah, I know,” Kat breathes, sitting up and moving to the edge of the bed.

“Don’t--don’t leave, please,” Zia sits up, and reaches for Kat.

“I’m not, don’t worry, I just,” she pauses, sighs, lets Zia take her hand. “It’s hard because of trauma reasons obviously, but my family has worked through it and I’m doing really well. Obviously, you’re a testament to that.”

She squeezes Zia’s hand and looks back at her, smiles slightly. Zia smiles back.

“But it’s also hard,” Kat continues. “Because what happened was really unbelievable and I can’t just say it out loud. You’d have to see, but it’s not--it’s not something someone should ever see. It’s not something that should exist.”

“Okay,” Zia says, sliding her hand up Kat’s arm and back down. “You know I’m patient and I trust you.”

“Yeah.”

“And I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Hey, that’s gay.”

“ _You’re_ gay.”

“You’re gay,” Zia giggles, and pulls Kat back to straddle her.

Kat frames Zia’s face with her arms, her thumbs stroking at her head.

“When Father Tomás and this Mouse woman get here, they’ll help me explain,” Kat says. “I don’t want you to be in the dark anymore. And I certainly don’t want to get married without you knowing.”

“That reminds me, you sure you don’t wanna do it in a church?”

Kat laughs, kisses Zia’s nose. “No way, it’ll be fun at Buddies. Having a drag show as our reception, that’s like…”

“Peak gay culture?”

“I mean, my mom will hate it, but she already hates that I’m a big ol’ Lesbian, so I don’t really feel like sticking with tradition.”

“Casey will probably make her stay.”

“Mm, dad too,” Kat laughs. “He’d love it just sitting at the bar, flirting with the queens.”

“Should we call them?”

“What?”

“Should we let your family know that Bennett guy showed up?”

“No,” Kat says. “He doesn’t know where they are, that was obvious enough. I don’t want to risk their safety by calling them.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” Kat pauses, breathes, then nods her head. “Yeah, I’m sure.”

Kat rolls off Zia and then cuddles in to her.

“Let’s go back to sleep.”

“We’re gonna get woken up by Conrad getting home in like an hour though.”

“Then we’ll get one more hour of sleep and then we’ll make fun of Connie for staying out all night, while we broke into their house.”

“Perfect.”

“Good night.”

“Good night.”

 

“Conrad,” Zia says, when Connie waltzes into their guest room at 6 AM.

“Zamelia,” they reply.

“The fuck are you doing getting home at 6 AM, dude?” Zia says.

“I was having friend sex with Dave in Parkdale,” Connie says. “The fuck are you doing in my guest room at 6 AM, dude?”

“You left your door unlocked,” Kat says.

“Also possibly being hunted down by an evil priest,” says Zia.

Connie blinks at their friends for a moment before shrugging and heading to the kitchen, throwing an “okay” over their shoulder.

“Is this the calm before the storm?” Kat says.

“Probably.”

“I hope Mouse calls soon.”

* * *

 

 

A strong hand grips Tomás’s neck, pinning him solid against the wall of the border interrogation room.

“The power of Christ compels you!” he rasps out.

“Mm, they said you were annoying,” the demon says, slamming Tomás back again.

“The Canadian border? Really?”

The demon whips her head around, and Tomás aims his pleading eyes toward Mouse standing in the doorway. She has a cross in one hand and a gun in the other.

“Shot in the head or exorcism?” She says. “You choose.”

Tomás uses the distraction to kick the demon away and starts a steady repetition of prayer.

The demon starts to seize violently, hissing out vitriol.

“This could take a while,” Mouse sighs and shoots it.

Tomás gives her a look.

“What?”

“That was working,” he says. “We could have exorcised her.”

“She was integrated,” says Mouse. “Just like every other demon at this border. No humanity left.”

“You know they don’t like guns this side of the border,” Tomás says.

“Do you think I like guns?” Mouse says. “I don’t have much choice, Tomás. This isn’t exactly everyone’s general type of morning. And we don’t have time to exorcise every single demon on our way to Toronto, when Bennett’s body is being used to…”

“I know,” Tomás says. “I’m sorry. But Kat is strong and she’s smart. She’s going to be okay until we get there.”

“She’s human,” Mouse breathes.

“We are human,” Tomás replies, furrowing his brow.

“No, we’re exorcists,” Mouse snaps. “Now, let’s go.”

She pulls the body from the floor onto the table, closes her eyes.

“They took the cameras out,” she says. “So, I guess thank the demons.”

“Thank you, demons,” Tomás says absentmindedly and wanders out of the room.

* * *

 

 

“Where’s she gone?” Lilith snarls, holding Bennett against a pillar.

“How should I know?” Bennett says, calmly.

“You must have some information,” says Lilith, hissing in Bennett’s face. “It’s your job to know everything. How do you clean up messes, if you don’t know a damn thing?”

“Oh, I did my best,” he replies.

Lilith grabs his shirt and throws him to the side. She stalks away, the sound of her heels thundering through the room.

“Liverpool was… Bristol…” Lilith mutters to herself. “Miami, we were...”

“Oh,” Bennett says.

“What?”

“I know what you’re doing.”

“Oh, really?” Lilith says, rolling her eyes and flopping down in a chair.

“You don’t just want Rances,” Bennett says. “Liverpool, Bristol, Miami, Mexico City, Chicago… You want anyone Marcus has exorcised. But for what?”

“I wish I could kill you.”

“Then do it,” Bennett says, picking himself off the floor and slowly walks toward Lilith. “Oh, right. You can’t. You need me. But that can’t be the real reason, is it? I think you’re too weak.”

“You’re nothing.”

“Marcus didn’t even exorcise Angela Rance,” says Bennett, now towering over Lilith. “She did it herself.”

Lilith crosses her arms, looks up arrogantly.

Bennett pushes her out of her chair.

* * *

 

 

“What do you think?”

“Conrad,” Kat says. “You’re telling us you want to officiate our wedding dressed in drag as a nun.”

“Well, you’re not doing it at a church,” Connie says, pulling at their habit.

“This is why I didn’t want them to do it,” Zia whispers to Kat.

“Connie, we love you, but no,” Kat says.

“You guys are boring, but fine whatever,” they reply, and haughtily spins around and heads back to their room.

“Should we get an actual minister?”

“My mom’s gonna want a priest,” Kat groans, just as there’s a knock on the door.

Zia goes to the door and opens it to a scruffy guy wearing a hat she finds incomprehensible.

He takes the hat off.

“Yeah?” she says.

“Is Kat Rance here?” the man says.

“Marcus!” Kat says, coming up behind Zia. “Did Tomás call you?”

She pulls him inside, while Zia shuts the door.

“No, no, I was just at your apartment,” Marcus says. “Your neighbour told me you’d be here.”

“Mary, damn it,” Zia says. “We told her not to talk to anybody.

“I can be persuasive,” Marcus says.

“Oh, Jesus, did you threaten her?”

“Of course not,” he balks. “I flirted, obviously.”

“You’re a priest,” Kat says.

“First of all, I’m not a priest anymore and you knew that,” Marcus says. “And second, priests flirt all the time. I should know this, I was a priest.”

“This guy was a priest,” Zia says.

“Yeah, got defrocked by a friend of mine.”

“That sounds very sexual,” says Zia.

“Okay, that’s not important,” Kat says. “If Tomás didn’t call you, how did you know something was wrong?”

“God led me to you,” Marcus says. “I’ve been--”

“Did you just say _God_ led you to us?” Zia says.

“Yeah, anyway, I’ve been on a sort of sabbatical, God popped back up, told me Tomás and Mouse and Bennett were in danger, but he led me here to you.”

“It’s because of Bennett,” Kat says. “Well, it’s not Bennett anymore…”

“Oh,” Marcus breathes, and rubs at his face. “Integrated?”

“I don’t know,” Kat says. “But you can find him and you can exorcise him, right?”

“What the fuck?” Zia says.

“I told you it would be hard to believe, Zia.”

“You’re not even religious,” Zia says.

“I don’t need to be,” she replies.

“Zia,” Marcus says. “I know this is a lot to take in, but your friend--”

“She’s my fiancée,” Zia snaps.

“Your fiancée,” Marcus corrects himself, nodding, allowing a small smile. “She’s right, but you’re caught in this now, so you’ll have to know.”

“So, you’re trying to tell me that God and demons and all that jazz are, like, real?” Zia says.

“Yeah, basically, yeah,” Kat says.

“What the fuck?”

Connie chooses this moment to come back to the living room and looks Marcus up and down.

“You single?” They say.

“I’m 53,” Marcus replies.

Connie shrugs, “I’m into it. Hit me up sometime.”

“I appreciate the offer,” Marcus says. “But, um, you’re definitely to young for me.”

“Well, it was worth a shot,” Connie says and offers Marcus their hand. “I’m Conrad, by the way. Connie, if you’re nasty.”

“Connie, for fuck’s sake,” Zia says. “Just ignore them. They have no chill.”

“Marcus,” Marcus says, shaking Connie’s hand. “And it’s perfectly fine.”

“Anyway,” Zia says. “Back to the problem at hand, um, _what the fuck_?”

“What the fuck, indeed,” comes a voice from the back hallway. “That back door lock is sinfully easy to pick.”

“Bennett,” Marcus utters.

Bennett’s body steps out, hands firm in his pockets.

“Actually, my name is Lilith,” Bennett’s voice says. “And you, Ms. Rance, have a very talkative neighbour. Well, once she’s been tortured within an inch of her life.”

“Is she…” Kat whispers.

“As a doornail,” Lilith says, and her iris slides in beside Bennett’s.

“Oh, the power of Christ compels you, bitch,” Zia says.


	2. you gotta kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> IN THIS CHAPTER: vaguely described minor violence, marcus takes a big step, zia makes ratatouille, bennett feels a feeling.

Connie is the one who rushes Lilith, taking Bennett’s body to the floor. Kat, Marcus, and Zia run to help them. Zia gets one arm, pinning it to the floor and she starts reciting the Lord’s Prayer.

“How do you know that?” Kat says, trying to keep Bennett’s kicking feet down.

“My family’s Presbyterian, babe,” Zia says.

“Right. Shit!” One leg slips away, kicking Kat back.

“Get off me, get off me,” Lilith’s voice comes through Bennett’s mouth, as she scrambles against all the arms and legs against her.

“You’re weak,” Marcus says, pressing a crucifix to her chest. “Give it up.

Lilith snarls and goes limp, breathing heavy and growling quietly.

“He’s fighting her,” Marcus says.

 

They get Lilith sedated and tied up in Connie’s guest room, where Marcus blesses Bennett, crosses his head with holy water. Kat watches the intimacy of it, the softness in Marcus’s touch and the way he whispers to Bennett. It’s something other than prayer, but Kat can’t hear from the doorway.

Marcus sets his hand over Bennett’s heart a moment, breathes deeply, and then gets up.

“You two were close,” Kat says, framing it as a question, but they both know it isn’t.

“We were once,” Marcus says, glancing a fond look at Bennett’s sleeping body. “We’re just allies now, I suppose.”

“He’s the one who took your collar, right?”

“Yeah,” Marcus laughs. “We had a pretty apathetic relationship at that point.”

Kat smiles sadly, looks to Bennett, then back to Marcus.

“Tea?” she asks.

“Definitely,” Marcus says, following Kat out of the room and closing the door firmly.

“You really think he’s still in there?” Zia says, from her spot on the couch. 

“Bennett is resourceful and resilient,” Marcus replies. “I have no doubt.”

“You said integration destroyed the human soul though,” she says.

Marcus nods, then looks at Kat, “yes, but we’ve seen a successful exorcism of an integrated demon.”

“My mom,” Kat says, looking up from where she’s just set the kettle to boil.

“Angela was integrated?” Zia says slowly.

“Casey was possessed and…” Kat trails off. “Can we talk about this later.”

“Yes, yes, of course, take your time,” Zia says, heading over to Kat and kissing her cheek. “Why don’t we go back home and just forget about this for a while?”

“Later,” Kat says. “I want to stay with Marcus until Father Tomás and Mouse get here. You can go home if you want.”

“No, I wanna make sure you’re okay,” Zia says. “And that Connie’s house doesn’t get too crazy. Least I can do while they’re at work.” 

“You think they’re gonna go around and tell everyone they have a demon in their house?” Kat says.

“Probably,” Zia laughs. “But they’re always saying shit like that anyway.”

“True,” Kat says, and leans into Zia.

Marcus smiles warmly at them.

“Congratulations, by the way,” he says. “Have you set a date yet?”

“Oh God, three months,” Zia says, suddenly beaming. 

“We got engaged pretty fast, I guess,” says Kat, reaching her arm around Zia’s waist and pulling her close. “Might as well rush to the altar too.”

“I mean, we u-hauled after, like, two months of knowing each other,” Zia says and shrugs. “It’s just what dykes do.”

“You two seem very happy,” Marcus says. “And I’m very happy for you. You deserve it, Kat.”

Kat grins, bashfully, burying her nose in Zia’s neck.

“You’re pretty chill for a priest,” Zia says. “Thought you’d come at us angrily with a Bible.”

“Oh, you should see my Bible,” Marcus chuckles. “Man’s words are not God’s. And anyway… I’m… bisexual.”

“Knew it,” Zia says. “You got a vibe.”

“Hm.”

“What?”

“No, it’s just,” Marcus rubs his hand over his head, a thoughtful smile on his lips. “I’ve just never said it out loud before.”

“Oh, dude! That’s awesome!” Zia rushes him suddenly, wrapping Marcus up in a hug. “Congratulations, you did it!”

Marcus hugs her back, a little hesitantly.

“I, uh, thank you,” he says, and Zia steps away. “Haven’t done a lot about it. It’s all very brand new for me.”

“Oh my God,” Zia says, grabbing Marcus’s shoulders and looking at him intently. “We’re gonna take you to Glad Day, there are so many books you can read.”

“There’s a faith and spirituality section too,” Kat says. “It’s really great.”

“Sorry, what’s Glad Day?”

“Oh, holy shit, it’s the best,” Zia says. “It’s a LGBT bookstore, it’s gay from top to bottom, pun intended, and it’s a café.”

“Okay,” Marcus says.

“After being a priest your whole life,” Zia says, “you deserve some good gay fun.”

“I have had some good gay fun since being excommunicated, just… not a lot,” Marcus says.

“Well, now you’re gonna have a lot of good gay fun,” Zia says, just as a crash echoes from the guest room.

They all look towards the door and the kettle starts to whistle.

“Tea’s ready,” Kat says. 

“Praise the Lord,” Marcus sighs, and heads to the guest room.

* * *

 

Mouse and Tomás finally arrive in Toronto in the early afternoon, sore and exhausted from the drive, but ready to work. Mouse had called Kat once they were back on the road after getting through the demons at the border. She learned that the demon (Lilith) was tied up at Kat’s friend’s house; and that Marcus was there, attempting to exorcise it.

Mouse takes Marcus’s reappearance in her stride, but Tomás demands that they _ call Kat back and speak to Marcus, for God’s sake _ , to which Mouse replies that Marcus is obviously busy. Tomás is antsy the rest of the ride, his knee bouncing, and his fingers tapping against his thigh. When they get into the city, Mouse is hoping Tomás will start breathing easily again, but he grows dispassionate instead. They have work to do.

 

“Put the gun away,” Marcus says, getting up from Bennett’s side.

“He’s integrated, Marcus,” Mouse says. “It’s a precaution.”

“He’s still in there,” Marcus says, desperately. “Bennett is fighting her tooth and nail and he’s going to win.”

“You can’t know that,” Mouse says, sadly, but she holsters the gun.

“I know him,” Marcus says. “He won’t go down without a fight.”

“Okay,” Tomás says. “Then we pray.”

“We don’t need you, Marcus,” Mouse says. “You should go.”

“I’m not leaving him.”

* * *

 

“I just don’t understand you,” Bennett growls, wrestling with Lilith as the illusion starts crumbling around them. “You can’t read my mind, you can’t destroy my soul, you can barely fight me. Tell me, _ Lilith _ ,” he spits her name, as he back her against a wall, forearm pressing hard on her neck, “what exactly  _ can _ you do?”

“Plenty,” Lilith says, her voice strained.

The wall begins to melt against her back, blue turning purple to blood red, Lilith’s makeshift illusion dripping away. The room echoes with Marcus’s voice,  _ I forgive you, fallen angel _ , and Bennett looks up at the cracking ceiling, where bright, blinding light is shining through.

“How much longer can you keep this up?” Bennett asks, and Lilith swats and scratches at his shirt, her nails turning an ugly burnt black. “Marcus is here. And together, we can send you back to Hell.”

“I can’t go back there,” Lilith wheezes, her eyes pleading, her arms falling to her sides, her entire body  _ defeated _ . “Please.”

Bennett slides his arm across Lilith’s neck and then wraps his hand tightly around her throat. 

“You have no other choice,” Bennett bites out. “I’ve told you I’m too strong for you. Either you go back to Hell or you  _ get the Hell out of my body _ .”

Lilith’s eyes brighten, she smiles, and then starts sinking into the wall.

“We’ll meet again, Devon,” she says, fading away. “You can bet on that.”

 

He blinks awake in a bright room, and looks around. Mouse, with a gun, by the door; Tomás, with a Bible, at the foot of the bed; and Marcus, with his crucifix, kneeling beside him.

“Bennett,” Marcus says, and Bennett watches drops of sweat fall off his lips.

“She’s not dead,” Bennett says. “She’s gone, but she’s not dead.”

Marcus lets out a deep breath, “we’ll talk about that later. Have some water first.”

Bennett lets Marcus help him sit up and hand him a glass of water. He sips silently and then slides a hand across his face.

“I have a beard?” he says.

Marcus grins and presses Bennett’s face with his palm.

“Yeah,” he laughs, “you’ve got a beard.”

* * *

 

 

Marcus brings Bennett back to his hotel room to get cleaned up. They all told him to stay at the house, have a shower, get tucked in comfortably to the bed they had him tied to, but Bennett needed fresh air. And privacy. 

Marcus is sitting on the bed, flipping idly through his scrapbook of a Bible.

“I thought you’d be heading back,” Bennett says, after he’s out of the shower.

Marcus has lent him some clothes, which fit well enough, but he’d really love some regular suit trousers.

“They don’t need me,” Marcus replies. “They haven’t needed me.”

“Oh,” Bennett says. “I see, you’re avoiding them.”

“No, I’m not.”

Bennett sits next to him on the bed.

“Do you want to tell me what happened?” Bennett says. “I don’t know if you noticed, but I’ve been out of commission for a couple months.”

Marcus smiles, lets out a short laugh, and looks up from his Bible.

“I just can’t do this anymore,” Marcus says. “Even if God is with me again, there are too many reasons why I  _ shouldn’t _ do this anymore. I just have to figure out what to do next.”

“I’m tired too,” Bennett says, knowingly.

“Of course, you are,” Marcus says. “You were just exorcised. I’d think something was wrong, if you weren’t.”

“No, it’s more than that,” says Bennett, and he can suddenly feel the light touch of Marcus’s hand on his back through Marcus’s shirt. “I’m so sick of the Church. I’m sick of exorcism. I’m sick of all this bullshit.”

“You’ve been sick of it for a long time, haven’t you?” Marcus says.

“A very, very long time.”

“And you took it out on me,” Marcus nods, smiling fondly. 

“You weren’t exactly amicable with me either, you know,” Bennett says. 

“But we used to be friends,” Marcus says. “What happened?”

“Promotions, work,” Bennett says, then pauses. “You stopped calling me Devon.”

“Oh, so it was my fault?”

“Little bit of both maybe.”

Bennett looks at Marcus, studies his face, his slight smile, the wrinkles around his eyes.

“You never really gave a shit about the Church,” Marcus says.

“No, I did,” Bennett says. “But cleaning up all its messes weighed on me.”

“Cleaning up  _ my _ messes, you mean,” Marcus teases, knocks his shoulder against Bennett’s.

“Exactly,” Bennett says, standing up, almost missing the warmth of Marcus next to him. “Now, I need to get rid of this beard.”

“I like it,” Marcus says, looking back at his Bible, but Bennett can see him smirking slightly.

Bennett takes a moment to just  _ look _ at Marcus breathing, studying the drawings in his Bible, being uncharacteristically calm. It’s odd, but nice to see Marcus be still and unthinking and Bennett hopes he can find some of that too. Because he can feel the exhaustion even worse now, but it only barely feels like it’s apart of him. He needs to find his body again. It’s free of injuries currently, but it needs to heal so he can breathe easy.

He heads to the bathroom.

 

He comes out a couple minutes later and Marcus looks up and grins.

“You kept the beard,” he says.

“Well, I trimmed it a bit,” Bennett replies. “It’s not bad.”

Marcus sets the Bible on the bed and gets up, comes over to Bennett.

“It looks good,” he says. “You look good.”

Bennett studies his face and then nods.

“Feels good.”

“Come on,” says Marcus. “You must be starving.”

“Yes,” Bennett breathes.

“Kat and Zia have invited us all over,” Marcus tells him. “Apparently, Zia is quite the accomplished cook.”

* * *

 

“This isn’t a party,” Zia says, once everyone is at the apartment. “We just thought you guys could use some good food.”

“And Zia makes very good food,” Kat adds.

“Do you work as a cook?” Tomás asks, sitting down on the couch, beer in hand.

They’ve passed around wine and beer (Bennett decides not to drink, settling for water), and Zia is back and forth from the kitchen. Mouse is in a recliner, holding a wine glass, not drinking. She’s concernedly watching Bennett, who’s on the other end of the couch from Tomás, quietly drinking his water. Marcus is at the kitchen table, chatting with Zia, helping if he can, obviously avoiding Mouse and Tomás.

“I don’t,” Zia says, heading to the stove and checking on the large pot. “I’d like to open a little café or something, but that costs money we don’t have.”

“We’re artists,” Kat says. “Very unlikely we’ll figure that out without a miracle.”

“The painting in the living room,” Marcus says. “The unfinished one--”

“Yeah, that’s mine,” Zia says.

“It’s lovely,” Marcus says. “Do you only use acrylics?”

“Nope,” she replies, pouring herself a glass of wine and sitting at the table with Marcus to chop some veggies. “I like oil as well, but watercolour is my favourite. I just wanted that thick texture you get from acrylic for this one.”

“Yeah, it gives it a nice dynamic look,” Marcus says, sipping his beer.

“Do you paint?”

“Ah, no,” he says. “Just drawings, mostly charcoal. Nothing special, it’s just to pass time really.”

“I’d like to see what you’ve done,” Zia says.

“He’s very good,” Tomás calls from the living room.

“When he’s not defacing the Bible,” Bennett says.

“I thought you liked the bird drawings,” Marcus teases.

“I never said that,” Bennett says and Marcus laughs.

“He’s always trying to hurt my feelings,” Marcus stage whispers to Zia, who gives him a knowing smile.

“Do you like him?” Zia says softly, quiet enough so only Marcus can hear.

Marcus sighs, and smiles a little self-deprecatingly, “it doesn’t matter.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah,” Marcus says. “Too much history. I care about him, but… it’s not gonna happen.”

“You should come out for a drink with me and Kat after dinner,” says Zia. “At Glad Day. If you want. It’s a pretty mixed crowd, so there’ll be guys your age there.”

Marcus thinks a moment, sips his beer, and then nods. “Alright, yeah, sounds good.”

“Great,” Zia grins, dropping the chopped veggies in a bowl and tossing the salad together. 

She brings the salad and bowls over to the living room, setting them down on the coffee table with cutlery and a few different dressings.

“Help yourselves, the ratatouille will be ready in a few minutes,” she says, and then heads back to the kitchen.

“Are you still dancing, Kat?” Tomás asks, waiting for everyone else to get themselves salad before helping himself.

“Nothing as strict as ballet,” Kat replies. “I’ve been doing some performance art and theatre. Enough to stay in shape and keep my knee loose, but I can’t do a lot. You screw up a knee twice, it probably won’t get that much better.”

“Chronic pain,” Mouse says. “I have a ongoing neck problems. Exorcisms, shitty motels, stress… all adds up.”

“Yeah, I can imagine,” Kat says.

 

They all eat together in the living room around the coffee table. Marcus likes the unconventionality of it. Unlike the staunch formality of sitting around a table, he finds it comforting, more equal than being put in one seat or another.

The food is good, as promised, and just what everyone needed. After dinner, they scatter throughout the apartment again; Mouse checking with Bennett, Zia making coffee, and Marcus and Tomás talking with Kat.

“You’ve created such a nice home here,” Tomás says. “I know it wasn’t easy after Chicago.”

Kat grins, looks over at Zia in the kitchen and then back to Tomás, “yeah, it’s awesome.”

“You seem very happy,” he says.

“I am,” Kat says. “I really am. And now I’m gonna go help Zia, because we should really be making tea too.”

She leaves Marcus and Tomás standing there awkwardly, shifting from foot to foot.

“Might as well stop ignoring me now,” Tomás says.

“Was it that obvious?” Marcus asks, sticking his hands in his pockets.

“Yes,” Tomás says seriously and Marcus laughs warmly.

He squeezes Tomás’s shoulder.

 

“Lilith is part of something bigger,” Bennett says to Mouse. “Since, I realized the Vatican was infiltrated, they’ve been moving and growing.”

“There’s more integrated than there’s ever been,” Mouse agrees. “We barely made through the border, because demons had taken it over. It’s not just the Vatican anymore.”

“Demons have always gone with the government, police,” says Bennett. “They have influence and safety. And the people in those institutions want to be part of whatever the demons are planning. Nowhere and nothing is safe.”

Mouse nods, and then shakes her head, “Lilith led us on wild goose chase. I don’t know what she was looking for.”

“Anyone Marcus has exorcised,” Bennett says. “I don’t know why, but she went to the past several cities Marcus was part of an exorcism in. She hasn’t found anyone obviously. The little boy in Mexico City died, the woman in Bristol committed suicide last year, and the others have buried themselves deep for their safety.”

“But she found Kat,” Mouse says. “That means she’s close to the Rances. And wherever she’s gone now, that’s her next stop.”

“If she can find Angela and Casey,” Bennett says. “Lilith thinks she can break Kat. She’ll likely stay here in Toronto and just watch.”

“We need to stay close to Kat then,” Mouse says. “You need to gain your strength back, take time out.  _ You _ should get out of the city, go with Marcus, and stay safe.”

Bennett nods and sighs, “yes,” he says. “I need time. But Lilith is not a normal demon. She’s not nearly as strong as the others and I feel like she’s operating on a personal level. She thinks she’s special, but she’s weak. She’s all talk, is the problem. She knows how to manipulate, and that’s what we need to watch out for. Someone without my knowledge and my experience, won’t be able to fight her.”

“You think she’ll go to someone completely unassuming then?”

“It’ll keep her hidden,” Bennett agrees. “It’ll make it easier for her to follow leads, but harder for you to track her.”

“Don’t underestimate me, Bennett,” Mouse says, smiling slightly.

“Never,” Bennett says, shaking his head.

 

“This doesn’t mean I’m back in it, Tomás,” Marcus says, sobering. “You and Mouse make a good team, you don’t need me.”

“I still wish…”

“And anyway, I can’t leave Bennett alone,” Marcus adds. “And he can’t exactly go along with you. Not after that.”

“No, you’re right,” Tomás says.

“Did you just say I’m right,” Marcus says, an amused smile playing at his lips. “Well, you’ve never said that before.”

Tomás rolls his eyes and shakes his head, “I’m thinking about Bennett’s well-being obviously.”

They both look over to him, sitting and talking with Mouse attentively.

Only, Marcus looks back. Tomás seems to have zoned out, his brow furrowed, his eyes glazed over.

“Tomás?” Marcus says. “Tomás, are you alright?”

Mouse and Bennett look over as Marcus cups his hand around Tomás’s cheek.

Bennett feels something tighten in his chest. A cold burn. Jealousy?

“Tomás?”

Tomás shakes his head, blinking a couple times.

“What?”

“He’s exhausted,” Mouse says. “Been up for nearly 48 hours. We should get going.”

“You sure you’re alright?” Marcus says quietly.

“Yeah, just need sleep,” Tomás says.

Marcus nods, clapping Tomás on the back, and heads over to the couch to sit with Bennett as Mouse gets up.

“Stay in touch this time, Marcus,” Mouse says. “If what Bennett says is right, we’ll need you on call.”

“I won’t disappear,” he says. “But I don’t know how much help I’d be.”

They say their goodbyes. Kat makes sure Mouse and Tomás don’t need tea or coffee before they go and they insist they don’t. After Mouse and Tomás have gone, Kat, Zia, and Marcus have coffee while Bennett has tea around the kitchen table.

 

They sit in a comfortable silence for a while before Bennett says he really needs to sleep. Marcus takes him back to his hotel room, promising Kat and Zia he’ll meet them downtown. They exchange numbers, and after a couple of minutes of being back in the room, Bennett tucked into the bed, Marcus texts to say he’s not coming down.

“You should go if you want,” Bennett says through a yawn. 

“I don’t want to leave you,” Marcus replies, pulling off his boots.

“I don’t need you, Marcus,” Bennett sighs.

“You need someone,” Marcus says, and comes over to sit on the bed.

“You can talk,” Bennett whispers, before finally drifting off.

Marcus frowns, looks over at Bennett, and exhales deeply. He turns off the light then falls asleep on top of the covers next to Bennett.

* * *

 

Tomás wakes up in the middle of the night, the feel of a hand stroking down his arm. He tries to shake away the apparition, but the woman stays where she is sitting beside him. 

“They said you were special,” she says, traffic lights peeking through the window and lighting up her bright red hair. “How true were they?”

“Who are you?” he says, squinting, still trying to push her from his mind.

“Who do you think?” she says, smiling kindly, placing a hand over Tomás’s hand. “Now, Tomás, I’m going to need your help.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> glad day is actually my favourite place in the world. i'm a whole ass lesbian, i can say dyke thank you.


	3. don't look for me in confession booth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> IN THIS CHAPTER: lilith is a bitch, everyone has feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay... this took forever to write because i honestly didn't know what to do in this chapter so instead of anything really happening everyone just has a lot of feelings. a little bit of stuff happens though. i guess it moves the plot along ??? casually though.

Demons talk. This is something Lilith has learned since coming up to Earth, but demons talk in Hell too. Demons who have been exorcised, demons who just hop around, demons who know Earth and humans inside and out, and they all talk. There’s just chatter, but then there’s information. Lilith has being stocking up on the information, because there’s so little she can learn herself. What with her little weakness… The others don’t notice though. She had taken over a body that was important, so they all assumed  _ she _ was important. And she’s good at pretending. She’s good at moving among the demons with unearthly abilities and making herself seem like she is better than all of them. 

The name helps. The mystery that she isn’t  _ that _ Lilith, makes her all the more mythical, which she enjoys. But Bennett saw through it. Bennett was smart and strong, and on the outside that gave her an advantage, but inside… 

She puts that from her mind. She’s focusing on Tomás now. Someone the demons talk about constantly. A rising star, apparently. First, as a kind and approachable priest, but now as an exorcist. There’s something about him, they say. Something unique and terrifying. They say they all feared Marcus Keane, that he was the exorcist to look out for, but he’s walked away from it now. Or God walked away from him. Either way, he’s never had the ability Tomás does, and Lilith wonders if whatever this ability is can help her. 

He’s stubborn, they say. But that doesn’t worry Lilith. She knows how to crack through that wall and she knows how to play a soul. 

She lets Tomás sleep the rest of the night. Sings him to sleep and waits for the morning to get started. 

* * *

 

“Maybe we should just do a potluck wedding,” Kat says, staring blankly at their wedding binder. “Have everyone bring their own food.”

“That’s ridiculous,” says Zia. “If we lived in, like, Northern Ontario and were getting married on a farm, then maybe that would work. But we’re getting married at a queer theatre on a saturday before a drag show, so I feel like we should at least be serving… tapas or something.”

“I know I said I don’t wanna do the big, conventional thing,” Kat sighs. “And I mean doing it at Buddies, already, is pretty out there… and having our friend officiate it… and having the reception literally be a drag show… and I love this… but fuck, we should’ve gotten a wedding planner.”

“Your mom said she’d help,” Zia points out and Kat groans, throwing herself back on the couch.

“She gets to help pick out the outfits, which, by the way, she already hates aren’t all dresses,” Kat says, curling up into a ball against the couch arm. “I just can’t let her hijack  _ my _ wedding.”

“Yeah, I know,” Zia says, squeezing Kat’s ankle and stroking up her leg comfortingly. 

“And this demon shit,” Kat says. “I can’t have her come into the city to help anyway. It’s not safe.”

“You gonna tell her what’s going on?”

Kat doesn’t say anything.

“It might be a good idea to tell her to keep an eye out, babe.”

“I don’t want her to worry,” Kat whispers. “I don’t want Casey to worry.”

“Are you sure it’s safer to keep them in the dark?”

“What happened,” Kat says, breathing slowly. “It was awful.  _ Awful _ . You saw Bennett, but it was worse than that. It was so fucking horrific, Zia, I--”

“You don’t have to explain any of it to me,” Zia says. “I understand.”

“So much of what happened was my fault,” Kat whispers. “I really fucked up.”

“I mean it, you don’t have to tell me, if you don’t want,” Zia says. “Whatever you might have done… I could never love you any less.”

Kat sits back up, moves over, and curls into Zia’s side. Her face is wet, tears steadily coming down her cheeks. She sniffs, breathes, and then tells Zia everything.

She tells her how she called the cops when Casey was chained up in her room, how Casey escaped the ambulance by killing the paramedics, how Casey almost died… 

“You didn’t understand what was happening,” Zia says, wiping at Kat’s face. “You just wanted to help your sister.”

“But I was so stupid,” Kat sobs. “Look at how you just… believed. I saw more than what you did and I just couldn’t let it be true.”

“Hey, listen to me, Kat,” Zia takes Kat’s face in her hands, her thumbs firm on her cheekbones. “We all react differently to things the world deems unbelievable. And I’m not completely in the dark with this supernatural shit. I’ve seen stuff, my mom’s seen stuff, my grandma sees stuff all the time. The idea of there being something more… ghosts, spirits, fucking vampires, whatever… it’s kinda commonplace in my family. It wasn’t for you, and that’s okay. It isn’t for most people.”

Kat nods, squeezing her eyes shut and leaning her forehead against Zia’s.

“Now you know all this,” Zia says. “Now I know all of this too, we can make sure your family stays safe. I mean, we’re pretty badass, we could probably take a couple demons, right?”

“You could,” Kat says. “You’d make a great exorcist.”

“Well, I did do a lot of church camp as a kid,” Zia says. “I think I could wield a Bible or two.”

“I think you could make the power of Christ compel me,” Kat says, smirking.

“Oh, I compel you all on my own,” Zia says, beginning to kiss along Kat’s tear-stained cheek. “Fuck Jesus.”

“Shut up,” Kat laughs, and pulls Zia in, kissing her hard.

They topple back on the couch, making out and giggling, legs intertwined. 

* * *

 

Marcus wakes up under the covers, rolled to Bennett’s side of the bed. He feels out, but Bennett isn’t there. He sits up and checks the clock on the bedside table. It’s 9. 

“Don’t you usually wake up earlier,” Bennett says.

He’s sitting across the room at the small desk, wearing Marcus’s clothes, drinking coffee.

“You could’ve woke me up,” Marcus says, sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“But you looked so peaceful,” Bennett says.

Marcus rolls his eyes, and goes over to sit beside Bennett.

“How are you feeling?” He says, helping himself to a mug of coffee.

“Fine,” Bennett says. “Ready to get back on my feet.”

Marcus gives him a look.

“What?”

“It’s been less than 24 hours,” Marcus says. “You should be convalescing. Somewhere on a beach or… the woods. Whatever people usually do.”

“There’s no time to convalesce,” Bennett says. “Mouse and Tomás need all the help they can get.”

“We’d be no bloody help,” Marcus says. 

“Lilith was trying to find people you’ve exorcised, Marcus,” Bennett says, earnestly. “She was lucky not to find anyone, but she  _ will _ find the Rances.”

“What does she want with them?”

“That’s what we have to find out.”

Marcus is quiet a moment, contemplating, irritated.

Finally, he sighs, says, “then I’ll talk with Mouse and Tomás.”

“Good,” Bennett says. “I’ll go with you.”

“Oh, for God’s sake,” Marcus groans.

Bennett just sips his coffee.

* * *

 

 

Tomás and Mouse sit in a McDonald's booth, drinking coffee and eating breakfast.

“Nothing like a greasy fast food breakfast,” Mouse says, savouring a hashbrown.

“She’s right,” Lilith says. “You should eat.”

Tomás clenches his teeth, using all of his willpower to ignore the demon cuddled up to his side. He takes a sip of coffee, surprised it isn’t awful, and focuses on that instead.

“What time will Marcus and Bennett be here,” Tomás says, keeping his eyes on the food in front of him.

“Ooh, they’re here,” Lilith says. “This should be fun.”

She gets up and sits in the booth behind Tomás and leans over his shoulder.

Marcus and Bennett get to the booth and slide in on either side. 

“So, what’s the plan,” Bennett says, by way of hello.

“We don’t have a plan,” Mouse. “I actually got some bloody sleep last night. There’s been no time for thinking.”

“Well, we have to think fast,” Marcus says. “I’ve checked out of my room. I need a destination.”

“Get out of here,” Mouse says. “Europe, Asia, it doesn’t matter. Just leave this to me and Tomás.”

“This concerns me, Mouse,” Marcus says. 

“It concerns Tomás too,” Mouse says. “He’s the one who exorcised Angela Rance.”

“I helped with Casey,” Marcus says.

“We don’t even know what they want with them,” Mouse says.

“Because they’re easy,” Lilith whispers in Tomás’s ear, snaking her arms around him.

“Because they’re easy,” Tomás repeats.

“What?” Mouse says.

“Because they’re easy,” Tomás says again, thinking about it. 

“ _ Easy?”  _ Marcus says, disgusted. 

“The demons think they’re easy,” Tomás says. “They think because they’ve been possessed before, they’ll be easy to possess again.”

“That’s terrible reasoning,” Marcus says. “If they’ve been exorcised, they’re stronger. They fight from the inside out.”

“Lilith’s idea maybe,” Bennett says. “She’s not smart.”

“Well, that’s not very nice,” Lilith says. “But maybe he’s right… Tomás, what should I do? Not go after the Rances?”

“We’ll stay in Toronto,” says Tomás. “But we’ll have to be inconspicuous.”

“Because there’s nothing conspicuous about talking about demons in a McDonald's on a Tuesday morning,” Mouse says, and sips her coffee.

 

“You see,” Lilith says later, sitting in the middle seat of the truck, arm flung over Tomás’s shoulders. “This is beneficial to both of us. There’s so much I can give you, and I’ll listen in from time to time.”

Tomás curls his hands into fists, staring out the window, trying to listen only to the wind and cars whipping past.

“You okay, Tomás?” Mouse asks, and Tomás stiffly nods. “Still tired?”

He nods again.

Lilith brings her mouth close to his ear, she slides her lips across it, and he can feel lipstick, warm like blood, staining him

She whispers, “and once you say yes to me, you’ll be doing me such a big favour.”

Tomás knows he’s smarter than this. He knows he should tell Mouse. Say  _ she’s here and she’s trying to take me _ , but he also knows he can fight her. He’s stronger and better than he’s ever been. When he gets a chance alone…  _ almost  _ alone, then he can end this. Maybe not for good. But for now, he can end this.

* * *

 

Marcus pays for another night in the room, knowing they’ll need to rent out an apartment or something. He doesn’t want to share a bed with Bennett for multiple reasons: Bennett needs space to recover, Marcus just plain needs space, and being so close to him is anxiety inducing. Marcus dreads that these feelings are coming back. They’d always been there of course, even while they were fighting. Especially then, because he could feel how he  _ missed _ Bennett. It moved to allyship, and now it’s something else. Something he has to tiptoe around because he’s scared that if he makes a sound, everything will crash down. He was right in what he said to Zia… it doesn’t matter. It probably never did.

“Why didn’t you go out with Zia and Kat?” Bennett asks, from his spot in the bed, that evening.

Marcus is sketching in his Bible. Concentric circles in Revelation just to pass the time. He looks up, furrowing his brow, pen pausing on the page.

“I was tired,” Marcus says. “Why?”

“You weren’t tired,” Bennett says, decidedly.

“How do you know that?” Marcus says, forcing out a sharp laugh.

“Because I know you,” Bennett says. “You seemed itching to get away from me and instead… we shared a bed.”

“Well, I didn’t feel like sleeping on the floor,” Marcus says, looking back down and continuing to draw.

“That’s not the point,” Bennett says, and Marcus feels like he can hear Bennett’s eye roll. “I know you’re worried about me, but I’m perfectly fine. And I would’ve been fine without you for a couple hours so you could go out and have a drink.”

Marcus doesn’t say he just wanted to be close to Bennett, because he’s been telling himself how much he  _ doesn’t _ want to be near him. 

“Shall I go out tonight then?”

“If you’d like.”

“You could come.”

“Oh, you know you don’t want that.”

“Really?”

“I know why you wanted to go out, Marcus,” Bennett says. “Wouldn’t I just disrupt that.”

“I would rather you not be alone,” Marcus says. “I don’t want to leave you vulnerable.”

“But you wouldn’t mind abandoning me at a bar so you could meet someone in some dark alley?” Bennett says, matter of factly, and Marcus narrows his eyes at him.

“Now that sounds more like something you’d do.”

“How is it that we know each other so well,” Bennett begins, “but you don’t think I’m completely capable on my own?”

“Because you were just possessed by a demon, Bennett,” Marcus snaps. “I understand it’s only been a day and you’re still in shock but at some point you are going to break down and I want to be there to support you.”

“I’ve survived long enough,  _ through _ enough to know I’m not breakable,” Bennett says calmly, despite Marcus. “And were I to need you, I would call. But whether I need you is irrelevant. I don’t… want… you.”

Marcus stares him down a moment, hurt making way to anger. He closes his Bible and gets up.

“I’ll call Mouse for you then,” Marcus says, quiet rage pushing at his skin. 

He throws on his jacket, grabs his phone, and storms out. 

He texts Mouse first, and then Kat.

He could probably use that drink now.

 

Marcus is acutely aware that this is the exact opposite of what he wanted to do. But he’s also aware that he and Bennett always seem destined to fight. So, maybe Bennett’s got the right to not want Marcus anywhere near him. And Marcus  _ knows  _ Bennett can take care of himself. He knows Bennett so bloody well, that he knows what to do if Bennett is too far gone to take care of himself as usual. But at the end of the day, he knows better than anything, Bennett and everyone else is better off without him. 

Kat texts him back saying she and Zia are already at Glad Day for a book launch. It sounds relaxing enough, to hear people read, drink some wine. He leaves the car, deciding instead to take the TTC, knowing there’s a subway station close to the bookshop. It’s an easy and quick commute, but the sky is low and gray and rain beats down. He doesn’t mind it, let’s his face run with rain, enjoying the coolness.

He wipes his face with his shirt in the doorway of Glad Day, hoping he doesn’t look too much like a sad, wet cat and goes in. Zia grins when she spots him and waves him over to where she and Kat are sitting at the bar. Kat’s hunched over a plate of poutine when Marcus slides in next to her and smiles.

“Happy to see you here,” Kat says and then takes a long sip of her beer.

“I’m happy to be here,” Marcus says, nodding. 

He scans the room, sees where the staff are setting up chairs and a microphone by the bookshelves; sees friends laughing and drinking together; a young couple holds hands as they look at a turning rack of postcards; he looks over to a guy close to his age sitting alone at the table closest to the door reading. As if sensing Marcus’s eyes, he looks up. They lock gazes a moment and the guy smiles, dimples peeking through dark 5 o’clock shadow, and then he looks back down to his book.

Marcus takes a brief moment to feel warm, accepted, and then turns to the bartender and orders a beer.

 

Marcus gets drunk. Not falling down, blackout drunk, but enough his inhibitions are lowered. Enough that when he laughs it feels real. 

He talks to the man (Ravi), flirts. Lets him buy Marcus a drink, and they joke. It feels good, but odd. Odd like he’s betraying  _ something _ , but he can’t be sure  _ what _ . Nevertheless, he wants to go home with him. To kiss and to touch and to feel wanted. And he knows that’s all he could let himself have. A one night stand and then he’ll be off down the road again, no numbers exchanged, and no plans made, just a kiss goodbye. It’s a depressing thought, but it’s his life, even though he knows that’s not really the person he is. He’s always said to do this damn job, you need to give up love and family and what have you, but it’s starting to creep into his mind that he’s a bloody romantic. He wants things. He wants happiness and to settle down, whether or not he believes he deserves it or needs it; but for the very first time in a long time, Marcus is terribly aware that he’s  _ allowed _ to want. 

He doesn’t kiss Ravi, but he takes his number. Wanting. Thinking maybe. Thinking he could’ve had normality with Peter, but was too stuck in his guilt. He still feels guilty, and he still feels like he turned his back on God. And while God decided to let him know Tomas and Mouse and Bennett were in danger, it was only until he could find Bennett. He hasn’t heard or felt God since he got to Toronto, since he got to Bennett’s side. As if God was leading him straight to Bennett. As if all God wanted for Marcus to find Bennett.

Marcus goes back to the hotel. Mouse isn’t there, of course, though he’s relieved. Bennett is still awake, past midnight, reading by the light of the lamp on the nightstand.

“I didn’t think you were coming back,” Bennett says, not looking up from his book, and turning the page.

“I need to talk to you,” Marcus breathes, his voice rough.

“Is there anything of interest you could actually say to me while drunk, Marcus?” Bennett looks up at with a silent anger Marcus can sense from across the room.

Marcus takes in a big breath and then exhales heavily, sitting down at the desk. 

“I’m sorry,” he says simply.

Bennett puts his book to the side and then takes his glasses off, folds them, and puts them on the nightstand. 

“Come here,” he says.

Marcus stands back up and goes over to the bed, standing over it, waiting.

“Sit down, Marcus.”

He does.

“I know you know I’m not helpless,” Bennett says and continues on calmly. “And I know you know, when I can no longer sit with my mind, you would be the first one I would call. Not Mouse. Not any of my other contacts. I would call you, because I have known no one else half as well or as long as I have known you. Whatever our history, I know you know how to help people, and I know you know how to make someone who has been through this particular trauma not feel like a helpless child. So, why did you treat me like one earlier?”

Marcus takes a moment, not even to collect his thoughts, just to prepare himself for bringing up the inevitable.

“Because I am so viciously terrified of losing you again,” Marcus says. “And of how much I want to be near you.”

Bennett nods, and then picks his book back up.

“Go take a shower,” he says. “You must’ve gotten soaked, I don’t want you catching a cold. Especially not if we’re going to continue sharing a bed.”

Marcus gives him an inquisitive look, a small smile playing on his face.

“Go on,” Bennett says, retrieving his glasses from the nightstand and slipping them on.

“Alright then,” Marcus says, and heads to the bathroom.

 


End file.
